How Mint Became The Default Flavor Of Dental Hygiene"To sweeten the breath, medieval Europeans could crush herbs into their tooth scrub or vinegar mouthwash; mint was sometimes used for this purpose, but so were rosemary, parsley, and sage. Other cultures chewed aromatic seeds - fennel seeds, cardamom, star anise - to abrade and sweeten the mouth." How did mint gain primacy? A confluence of mass production, the US climate, and a biochemical trick. The Smart Set 11/12/12